Hamacho

At Hamacho, dinner can mean choosing a few individual dishes or settling in for an omakase kaiseki menu that moves from appetisers and sashimi through grilled dishes and rice to dessert. One sample menu begins with a selection of five seasonal flavours and three kinds of fresh fish, followed by salmon grilled with yuzu, simmered winter melon with minced meat, a taro dumpling, rice with whitebait and mushrooms, and peach blancmange. It is an option for diners who like a succession of dishes, each offering something different. One guest who enjoyed the kaiseki commented that the portions felt just right despite the number of courses, and remembered the red miso soup and fried fish in particular. Sample menus have also included flatfish broth and salmon grilled with yuzu; the dishes change, so the menu on the day is the one to look forward to.

For a meal built one dish at a time, pair Kyoto-style obanzai with favourites such as dashimaki rolled omelette, chicken grilled with kuro shichimi spice or shrimp gyoza. Fresh yuba tempura and simmered fried eggplant have also appeared on the menu, making them options for an evening of sharing several Japanese small plates. There is also charcoal-grilled live conger eel. One diner recalled cooking it over a small charcoal grill and eating it with either plum paste or salt. It is a dish to order if you enjoy watching something cook while you sip your drink.

To finish, choose between tai-meshi cooked in a clay pot, tai-meshi chazuke, or dashi chazuke topped with pickled plum, salmon, or dried baby sardines with shiso. The clay-pot rice makes a more substantial ending; chazuke is a lighter way to round off the meal. Among the sake options, Kyoto's Sora is described as having a fruity aroma and a light finish, while Sawaya Matsumoto Shuhari, also from Kyoto, is presented as a sake that pairs well with food. These descriptions may help if you are looking for a glass to complement your meal.

Some diners have eaten at the counter, watching the chefs at work, while others have enjoyed dinner with a group in a private room. Hamacho has private rooms, and reservations are available. Whether you are choosing dishes alone or in a small group, or sharing a kaiseki meal with companions, there are different ways to settle in for the evening.